Noel Kreiss
Noel Kreiss is the deuteragonist in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and a supporting character in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. He is a playable character in Final Fantasy XIII-3. In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Noel is the last remaining human from 700 AF. He travels into the past in hopes of changing his fate. After meeting Lightning in Valhalla, Noel accompanies her sister Serah on a quest to save the future. In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Noel is known as the "Shadow Hunter" and has become obsessed with a prophecy in which "the evil Savior" dies at his hand. This puts him at odds with Lightning, who is determined to save his soul. In Final Fantasy XIII-3, Noel joins Lightning on her quest to find the goddess Mwynn, the only being who can halt the return of Bhunivelze and preserve humanity's autonomy in the new world. Datalog ''Final Fantasy XIII-2'' Added during Episode One, in New Bodhum -003 AF-''' ---- Noel is a young man that arrived in New Bodhum at the same time as the meteorite. He is the 'last of humanity,' from a world seven hundred years in the future—a world where Cocoon no longer exists. He claims to have met Lightning in the otherworld of Valhalla, and that she requested he find Serah in the past. Noel is adept at hunting, and appears to have some knowledge of time travel. 'Updated after the battle with Gogmagog in a Dying World -700 AF-' ---- Noel is the last child of humanity, born in a world 700 years after the catastrophe. He is the hunter from the future who encouraged Serah to step out of the present and into the flow of time. Noel is one of the Farseer tribe, and became the seeress Yeul's protector at a young age. The earnest hunter yearned to best Caius in combat, but was abandoned by his mentor before he had the chance to prove himself. Finally, unable to save Yeul from her mortal fate, Noel was left alone, the last human on earth. Noel refused to give in to despair, and when he reached out his hand to Etro, the goddess sent him to Valhalla to meet with Lightning. Thus began Noel and Serah's mission to save the future. ''Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII'' Noel came from a distant future where humanity faced extinction at the end of time. When his dearest friend, Yeul, was lost to him, he came back in time to a point when he might direct humanity away from the path that would lead to its doom. That was how he met Lightning, and then Serah. With their help, and his unflagging heart, he stood against the destruction he knew to be coming. By traveling through time with Serah, he succeeded in preventing the worst possible outcome of history, and the extinction of humanity was averted. But his great struggle, though well-intentioned, brought about a different tragedy instead. He fought the great warrior Caius, a man he once considered his teacher, and defeated him in their final battle—and in doing so he fell into the trap that Caius had so carefully laid, triggering the destruction of the world and Serah's death. The Chaos that continues to consume the world, the fruitlessness of Serah's death, his inability to keep his promise to Yeul—there is so much to regret. Is it any wonder that his heart may have become lost in the darkness? ''Final Fantasy XIII-3'' Appearance and Personality ''Final Fantasy XIII-2'' Noel is 18 years old and has shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. He wears a stone pendant, and his black V-neck top is decorated with tribal patterns; angel wings appear on the back of it. A leather bracer appears on Noel's left arm, and on his right hand lies a ring, from which cords wrap around his right arm. Noel's trousers are blue and sirwal-style with decorated hems; low-cut, sandal-like leather boots appear on his feet. A green pouch and hunter's knife are attached to the back of Noel's belt, which is adorned with small cloth ties that are lavender in coloration. Etro script appears on the back of Noel's top under the angel wing design, as well as on the dagger he carries. On his top, the script reads, "Seeker of Miracles at History's End -- Walker of the Realm Unseen." The script on his dagger is as follows: "Travel the desolate wasteland in search of hope's past." Personality-wise, Noel is cocky, cheerful, and confident, yet soft-spoken. He is a self-sufficient hunter and fighter, but he suffers from amnesia due to the effects of a time paradox. Because he comes from a future where mankind is all but extinct, Noel has some difficulty with speech, thus he communicates in a straightforward manner. Noel is excited to explore new places and meet new people, and he is defined by his determination to protect others. Noel is able to assert himself when necessary, but he is able to remain perfectly calm when faced with others whose anger has been provoked. Noel stands by his beliefs and morals, values life, and is reluctant to hurt or kill others. DLC Outfits Five alternate outfits were released as downloadable content for Noel: *'''Battle Attire - A battle attire in gold and crimson which wraps you in the leather of some strong beasts. Only for the chosen warriors. *'Spacetime Guardian' - This garb is said to be a gift of the goddess to those who fight to correct the anomalies of time. *'N7 Armor' - A new outfit for Noel, based on the armor worn by Commander Shepard in Mass Effect 3. *'Assassin's Creed' - A new outfit for Noel, based on the costume worn by Ezio Auditore. *'Black Mage' - A new outfit for Noel, based on the black mage from the FINAL FANTASY series. Noel Kreiss - Battle Attire.png|Battle Attire Noel Kreiss - Spacetime Guardian.png|Spacetime Guardian Noel Kreiss - N7 Armor.png|N7 Armor Noel Kreiss - Ezio Auditore.png|Assassin's Creed Noel Kreiss - Black Mage.png|Black Mage ''Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII'' Noel's clothing remains relatively unchanged in terms of its design from Final Fantasy XIII-2. However, his trousers, bracers, and the overall color scheme of his clothing have darkened to reflect the heavy burden he carries in his heart. In the 500 years that have passed since the death of the goddess Etro, Noel has lost his understanding of the true value of life. The deaths of others no longer weigh on his conscience because he has already committed the "ultimate sin"; it was he who brought the world to its dying state. Noel works as a vigilante and only kills when necessary; despite his depression, he still believes the prophecies foretold in the Oracle Drives. Noel is more serious, determined, and aggressive than he was prior to the birth of Nova Chrysalia, although he regains some aspects of his former personality after Lightning helps him let go of his guilt by saving his soul. ''Final Fantasy XIII-3'' Story ''Final Fantasy XIII-2 Fragments After'' Noel is the last child to be born into the Farseer tribe; he exists in a world in which Cocoon does not appear in the sky and Gran Pulse is naught but a wasteland. When Noel's parents die, his grandmother decides to raise him herself. When Noel is three years old, the seeress, Paddra Nsu-Yeul, is born. Her Guardian, Caius Ballad, arrives in Noel's village soon afterwards. Over time, Noel grows to hate Caius, and he learns from his grandmother that Yeul has to be kept away from people to ensure that no one will attempt to use her powers of foresight for evil. Three years later, Noel and a friend of his decide to play with Yeul. The trio is attacked by a Strigoi, but Caius comes to their rescue. Noel's dislike for the enigmatic man melts away, and he eventually becomes Caius's student. Determined to become Yeul's next Guardian, Noel continues to grow and train under his new mentor, watching his friends and family perish. By the time Noel is eighteen years old, he, Caius, and Yeul are the only surviving humans in the Dying World. On the day of Yeul's birthday, Noel kills a Behemoth and is deemed strong enough to succeed Caius. What the young man does not realize, however, is, as per ancient Farseer tradition, Noel must kill Caius if he is to become Yeul's new Guardian. Noel refuses to do away with his mentor, and instead, he tries to persuade Caius to join him on a journey with Yeul to find other people. While Noel claims this would erase Yeul's loneliness, Caius insists that this is a futile dream. Caius continues to beg Noel to kill him, and the boy continues to deny him. Caius reveals that the Heart of Chaos, a manifestation of the goddess Etro, beats within his chest; should it stop beating, the goddess will die and the past will be destroyed. When Noel refuses to kill Caius once again, his mentor chooses to kill him instead. Noel and Caius battle each other, and Noel is defeated. Disappointed by Noel's weakness, Caius reveals his wish to save Yeul. The man heads off to Valhalla to carry out his plan, abandoning both his apprentice and the girl he loved. The following day, Yeul tells Noel that she had a vision of him arguing with Caius, as well as Etro's Gate. The seeress reveals that every time she experiences a vision, her lifespan is shortened; Noel vows not to take the time he has left with Yeul for granted. ''Final Fantasy XIII-2 Fragments Before'' Noel finds Yeul praying at the Farseers' Relic. She promises him they will meet again and dies in his arms. The last of humanity, Noel embarks on a journey to find a way into Valhalla, become a warrior worthy of Etro's recognition, and gain the power to change his fate. When Noel is close to death, his body becomes cold and unresponsive. Seeing his unwavering resolve and determination, Etro takes pity on Noel and opens her gate to him. ''Final Fantasy XIII-2'' ''Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII'' ''Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories-'' Before it vanishes from existence, the soul of a young woman named Aoede communicates with Noel's soul as it travels to the new world to be reborn; this manifests as a physical meeting in the dream granted to Aoede by the goddess Mwynn. The glimpse of Noel's new life that Aoede is granted shows that he and Yeul are to construct a two-story wooden house near a busy marketplace in the subtropics. They will find the sight of other people to be comforting, given the fact that they were once the last two humans in existence in an alternate timeline. When Aoede talks to Noel, he tells her about his childhood in -700 AF-, as well as how he came to be the Shadow Hunter in Luxerion. Noel admits that the time he spent blaming himself for Serah's death allowed him to sympathize at last with Caius; he now knew exactly why his former mentor once longed to destroy the world. Aoede joins Noel and Yeul for lunch in the marketplace, and before the segment of her dream that involves him ends, Noel tells Aoede where she can find Vanille and Fang. 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